Press release

On November 28th, Members of the European Parliament from the Industry, Research and Energy Committee (ITRE) adopted the draft reports on renewables and energy efficiency directives, supporting a binding European renewables target of at least 35% and a binding European energy efficiency target of 40%, with national binding targets, for 2030. While the ITRE Committee aims to send a strong political signal ahead the trilogues, UFE regrets that the question of the means to achieve those targets was, once again, left aside.

With the Energy Working Party of the Council of the EU meeting on November 9th to discuss the proposal for a Directive on the promotion of renewable energy, UFE welcomes progress made on district heating and cooling but calls on Member States to clarify the provisions on technology-specific tenders.

The European Commission published on November 30th its so-called Winter Package, with long-awaited proposals on the implementation of the 2030 Energy and Climate package objectives in terms of energy efficiency and renewable energy, as well as the new mark design, which have to reflect the new energy system. Under the name “A Clean Energy for All Europeans”, this legislative package is now in the hands of the European Parliament and the Council of the EU, which will start working on the proposals in 2017.

Yesterday, the 8th of November, the European Commission officially authorized the French revised project for capacity mechanism, aiming at securing the energy transition and ensuring security of supply.

While a mission has been launched by Ségolène ROYAL about carbon price at European level and as ADEME and RTE are today jointly publishing a study stressing the importance and the need of a high CO2 price to immediately and significantly reduce the emissions of European utilities, UFE considers that the meaningful proposal from the French Government for an ambitious price corridor as part of the European carbon market will enable the achievement of this goal.

Today, March 4th 2016, is being held in Brussels an Environment Council of the European Union during which Ministers will hold a policy debate on the follow-up of the Paris agreement on climate change. On this occasion, Ségolène Royal will defend several proposals aiming at strengthening the carbon price. In this context, UFE recalls the importance of a strong carbon price at the European level in order to achieve a successful energy transition towards a low-carbon economy.

UFE’s recommendations for a decarbonized, secure, and competitive Energy Union market design: a major issue for the success of the Energy Union.
Undeniably, the internal energy market remains a central pillar of the European Energy policy. Today, it ensures fair competition between market parties and technologies, and therefore, on the short term, guarantees the satisfaction of consumer’s needs, at a least cost. Tomorrow, the UFE will fully endorse – just as in the past – any evolution that would improve its efficiency.

As the European Union starts an ambitious and unique energy transition, significant investments in renewed and high-performing energy infrastructures (renewable capacities, conventional power generation facilities, transmission and distribution networks) will be essentials to ensure a safe, environmentally friendly and affordable supply of energy.

French minister Segolene Royal has signed this morning the decree for the implementation of the capacity mechanism. Four years after the adoption of the NOME Act, which established the French capacity obligation mechanism, the UFE, which has been involved for many years in the reflection on the tools to be implemented to ensure security of supply on the medium term, warmly welcomes this good news.
This signature of this decree is indeed the appreciation of many years of cooperation and excellent work between RTE, DGEC and the UFE.